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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22588876">Mokuba's Murder Mystery Masquerade</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alecto/pseuds/Alecto'>Alecto</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Fictober 2019 [18]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime &amp; Manga)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Costume Parties &amp; Masquerades, Fictober 2019, Halloween, Halloween Costumes, M/M, Murder Mystery, Post-Canon, Pre-Relationship</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 13:27:54</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,833</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22588876</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alecto/pseuds/Alecto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Mokuba is a Kaiba through and through, along with everything that entails about wealth and showmanship. So he throws a Halloween party that his brother, Jounouchi, Yuugi, and the others won’t soon forget.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Jounouchi Katsuya | Joey Wheeler &amp; Kaiba Seto, Jounouchi Katsuya | Joey Wheeler/Kaiba Seto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Fictober 2019 [18]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1529003</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>73</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Mokuba's Murder Mystery Masquerade</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Fictober Day 31 prompt: “Scared, me?”</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Kaiba rarely questioned the liberties he afforded Mokuba. He worked himself to the bone for both their sakes; so that his little brother would never need or want for anything. He wanted Mokuba to grow up into a well-adjusted adult without the same baggage that weighed him down. Most of the time, Kaiba thought he’d succeeded.</p><p>But at this moment? With the manor invaded by costumed strangers and acquaintances? He doubted his leniency and the good graces he’d previously shown. </p><p>Mokuba had fallen in love with Halloween while pursuing his undergraduate degree in America. He “freaking loved” everything about it: the costumes, the scary stories, the atmosphere, and the revelry. Now he seemed determined to single-handedly import the holiday into mainstream Japanese culture. Kaiba found some aspects hard to argue against; the addition of a Halloween event boosted KaibaLand’s October attendance number and made up a third of the month’s revenue. </p><p>Kaiba should have drawn the line at the themed murder mystery party, though.</p><p>He still had no idea how Mokuba cleared his calendar for the entire day. He suspected it was through a conspiracy between his brother, Isono, and his secretary. His open schedule left him with no excuse when Mokuba spirited him away and guilted/cajoled him into a pre-arranged costume. Mokuba had been planning this party for literal months, and he begged Kaiba to play along for one night. It goes to show that even at age 26, Kaiba still fell easy prey to his brother’s demands.</p><p>Mokuba had worked hard on this party. That was apparent from the decorations that transformed their Neoclassical mansion into peak Gothic aspirational and the costume Mokuba had prepared on his behalf. Though it was made of foam, the blue armor was finished with a paint job that gave it a realistic metal sheen. His white overcoat was almost as high quality as the one he wore through Battle City. The sword sheathed in his belt may not be sharpened, but it was forged from real steel and lent the costume the final note of authenticity. Kaiba even consented to wear the helmet in the vain hope that people would leave him alone if they didn’t realize KC’s president was standing right next to them.</p><p>He sighed and rearranged his cape, settling deeper into the nook he’d claimed. From this spot, he kept a prime look out over the room as guests flooded into the open space. Everyone was dressed as a Duel Monster from Mokuba’s pre-approved list. A Black Magician Girl that looked suspiciously like Mazaki Anzu bobbed in and out of the growing crowd. The sighting left him at heightened alert, and he started scanning the guests for hints of Yuugi’s wild hair. If he saw them first, he could then steer clear of them.</p><p>A Blue-Eyes Sage popped up in front of him. “Nii-sama! There you are!” Mokuba exclaimed.</p><p>Kaiba bit back an undignified yelp when his brother dragged him into the low light. His brother hadn’t come alone. Two other figures slunk up the stairs and onto the mezzanine. Both were dressed in red and green armor, respectively, with swords sheathed at their sides.</p><p>Kaiba groaned. Why hadn’t he foreseen this turn of event? Why would he be dressed as the Legendary Knight Critias if his brothers-in-arm, Hermos and Timaeus, weren’t also in attendance? He leveled a glare at his brother, but Mokuba shrugged it off with a flick of his long pale hair. Kaiba was now one-hundred percent sure he’d given Mokuba too much freedom as a child.</p><p>“You look great, Kaiba-kun,” Timaeus—Yuugi gushed.</p><p>Hermos—Jounouchi hovered unsure for a moment.</p><p>“Cool, now you three can hang together while I kick things off,” beamed Mokuba. </p><p>“You sure you don’t want any help?” Jounouchi asked.</p><p>“I’m good. Bakura’s got the rest of it handled. Remember to have fun, Nii-sama! Yuugi! Jounouchi!” </p><p>Mokuba bolted away before Kaiba could stop him. He watched, brow twitching, as the milling crowd swallowed the silken sash of his brother’s costume and wig. It appeared he was stuck with Yuugi and Jounouchi’s company for the foreseeable future. If he left the party (even though he was well within his right), Mokuba would never let him hear the end of it.</p><p>Jounouchi reluctantly shuffled closer when Yuugi approached. The shortest man craned his neck to better study the candelabra mounted to the wall next to Kaiba’s head. Though it was electric, ghostly blue flames appeared to dance on its wicks. While Mokuba could have achieved a similar visual effect with Solid Vision, he insisted on practical effects so that his guest could “feel” the atmosphere. </p><p>With Yuugi preoccupied with the decorations, Kaiba turned his attention to Jounouchi. Wisps of blond hair poked out from under Jounouchi’s helmet. Like Kaiba, Jounouchi had chosen to not dye his hair or wear a wig for complete verisimilitude. </p><p>“I recall the Underdog being on Mokuba’s list,” he sneered. “Surely that would have been more in your price range.”</p><p>Jounouchi stuck out his tongue. He made a ridiculous sight in that costume with that expression. “You’re just bitching cuz your precious Blue-Eyes wasn’t on the list.”</p><p>Their well-practiced banter felt like a lifeline in this sea of virtual strangers. Kaiba wondered how long it’d take before he riled Jounouchi into storming away. It was a game he played with himself, but he hadn’t been able to achieve any new high scores recently. Jounouchi seemed to have grown immune to Kaiba’s taunts. Leave it to Jounouchi to ruin what little entertainment Kaiba salvaged for himself. </p><p>Yuugi brushed up against him, forcing him to take a step toward Jounouchi to avoid being trampled. Kaiba glared at his former rival, who was still completely absorbed in the minute details of the decor. </p><p>A hush fell over the crowd as Mokuba appeared on an opposing mezzanine, highlighted by a faint spotlight. He cleared his throat and slammed the blunt end of his halberd into the floor. When he spoke, it was as the Blue-Eyes Sage. “Welcome all ye faithful to the Ceremony of the Azure Moon. Tonight is our most holy festival and night. As the days shorten and the night lengthens, we gather to give thanks and pray to the Great Protector. The Blue-Eyes Priestess will commune with the Great Protector and impart their blessings to everyone present.”</p><p>The worshipers buzzed with excitement as the lacy curtain behind the Blue-Eyes Sage rustled. A dark shadow moved behind the translucent fabric. According to the backstory Mokuba had provided before the party, the Blue-Eyes Priestess was a reclusive figure of great power and beauty. People and monsters from all over the land made the pilgrimage to the temple to catch a glimpse of her during the Ceremony of the Azure Moon. </p><p>A pale hand pushed aside the curtains, and a thin but elegant figure stepped into view. Like the Sage, she had long pale blue hair framed by a silver diadem. Swathed in layers of blue and white silk, she glided like an otherworldly being to the railing. In one hand, she held a stout specter topped with the Blue-Eyes White Dragon with a bell and a long ribbon dangling from the other end.</p><p>Jounouchi gasped. “Holy shit, that’s Bakura.”</p><p>Upon further examination, Bakura Ryou was indeed playing the Blue-Eyes Priestess. His outfit was padded and cinched in all the right places to give the impression of an hourglass figure. It was hard to tell from this distance, but he also appeared to wear colored contacts. The Blue-Eyes Priestess rang her bell instead of addressing the people directly. The ribbon danced through the air in graceful swishes.</p><p>Someone near the front of the crowd fell to their knees in supplication. Maybe it was another one of Mokuba’s plants or creative improv on the part of a party guest. But soon, everyone followed suit and bowed to the Priestess. A spot of pride bloomed in Kaiba’s chest. Mokuba had them all fully immersed in his narrative.</p><p>When the Priestess visibly inhaled and her mouth fell open, everyone else held their breaths in anticipation.</p><p>Then the room—the temple plunged into darkness. A bloodcurdling scream pierced through the air.</p><p>Something grabbed Kaiba’s bicep. He momentarily lost his balance before catching himself against the wall. A sword pommel not his own dug into his hipbone. Slowly, his brain realized someone had thrown themselves at him. In the faint flicker of light shed by the nearby candelabra, he could make out a splash of red then yellow. </p><p>“Jounouchi, what the hell?” he growled and tried to shake the other man off. “Are you afraid of the dark?”</p><p>“Scared, me? Of the dark? Nah,” Jounouchi tightened his grip. “No, dude, something touched me! On the back of my neck and legs. It was fuckin’ ice cold.”</p><p>All around them, people hummed with confusion and anxiety. It was almost palpable in their oppressive omnipresence. Mokuba was milking the drama for all it was worth. Kaiba approved even if it left him with an armful of Jounouchi.</p><p>“You do realize everything’s made up, right? It’s a murder mystery, and I’m sure you’re not the intended victim. No matter how much I wish that was true.”</p><p>Jounouchi laughed with a note of hysteria, and the sound shook Kaiba’s bones. “Fuck you, Kaiba. I know what I felt, and that wasn’t human.”</p><p>The lights flickered back to life, dimmer than before but bright enough to see again. Jounouchi remained pressed against his side, face white as a sheet. Kaiba opened his mouth to berate him again when an anguished cry tore through the air. His heart jumped into his throat. That was Mokuba’s voice.</p><p>On the opposing mezzanine, the Blue-Eyes Sage knelt next to the Blue-Eyes Priestess’ limp body. Her lifeless eyes stared blankly into eternity, and a crimson blossom bloomed under the dagger lodged into her chest. The Sage sobbed over the body, torn by disbelief and agony. It broke everyone’s heart, Kaiba included, to watch him mourn the Priestess.</p><p>Jounouchi shook his arm, drawing Kaiba’s attention away from Mokuba’s performance. </p><p>“What now?” he snapped with impatience.</p><p>“Where’s Yuugi gone?”</p><p>Kaiba snapped his gaze to his left, where he last saw Yuugi studying the decor. No Timaeus. No Mutou Yuugi. Only a ripped patch of green fabric remained where Yuugi once stood. He shook off Jounouchi’s grip and bent to retrieve the cloth. It was a piece of Yuugi’s cape. He scanned the crowd below for any signs of the missing duelist but found none. Yuugi may be short, but his costume hardly counted as inconspicuous even among Duel Monsters. It was like he’d vanished into thin air.</p><p>Meanwhile, the Blue-Eyes Sage slowly climbed to his feet, resting his weight heavily on his halberd as if he didn’t have enough strength. His voice warbled with grief as he announced, “The Priestess has been murdered, and someone here is responsible. I—We will not rest until they are brought to justice!”</p><p>Kaiba smirked. </p><p>Game on.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I'm tempted to expand this one, but that means writing a casefic. And I don't have the brainpower for that rn.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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